Guardian
by BriiLeigh97
Summary: While scouting outside the walls Levi is knocked unconscious on his horse. He soon wakes up in a house he's never seen, with a girl he's never met. A girl who hasn't seen another human in almost 7 years. While Levi is wary of the girl he knows he can't get home without her. She promises to bring him back but will she stay with him? Slow burn Levi x OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Thanks for taking a look at my story, this isn't my first FanFic but it's my first AOT one. This is a very thought out story I have been planning for a while now in my head and finally decided to write it out! Everything si based off the anime and then my own Original Content. I haven't read the manga yet so if you've seen all of the anime there won't be any spoilers:)**

 **I hope you enjoy my little work of art I'm creating and please feel free to review it! It encourages me to write more and every writer loves feedback;)**

"C-captain, what should we do?" a young scout yelled ahead of him from his horse. While he could not see the titan he could feel the ground trembling beneath him with every step it took.

"Keep moving, do not engage." Levi yelled back, his cape whipping around him as the wind crashed against both him and his horse.

They were quite far from their base which was about half a day from the wall. The titan chasing behind them was clearly an abnormal and was gaining on them more and more by the minute. Levi, Hange and Mike rode next to each other, Hange looking back past the two younger scouts behind them to stare in awe at the beast.

"Wow! Look how fast he's running! He'll get us soon if we don't do something. Let's capture him!" she beamed to Levi.

"Tch" he didn't bother looking over at her but instead kept his eyes ahead and kicked his horse once more forcing it to push harder and gain more speed. "Speed up, we'll gain a little more distance on him and we'll split. After that I'll take him down."

Hange signed and rolled her eyes while facing front and pushing into her horse to gain speed like the rest of them. The cockier of the two boys in the back smirked and let go of the reigns to take out his blades.

"Steve, w-what are you doing?" James said from next to him. You could see the fear on his face, hear it through his shaking words.

"I haven't gotten a kill yet, why don't you let me take this one captain? He might be fast but they're all dumb." Steve said standing on his horse. He had slowed down and was starting to lose the squad in front of him.

"Sit down kid, this isn't the place. There's not enough trees around to use your gear. You wouldn't be able to get enough speed or height." Mike said from under his hood.

The young scout grunted and tightened his grip on the blades. "I don't need damn trees, I'll show you. I was the fastest in my class, I'll fly right to him and slice him before he even knows what's happening." and with that he shot his gear into the titans right shoulder and thrusted forward using his hips to swing him around it.

"Idiot." Levi mumbled under his breath. He broke off from the squad heading to the left. He grabbed his blades and planned to fly off his horse to swing around and kill the titan while it was focused on Steve. He knew he was much faster. But before he could a gurgled scream ripped through the air. Looking back he saw Steve's lifeless body crushed in the abnormals hand. Blood was dripping from his mouth, his eyes popped almost fully out of his skull.

Levi glowered wanting to kill the titan even more than before. He waited for the titan to take a bite of the scout in his hand but was surprised when instead it threw the boy right at him. With a slight gasp he turned forward again and whipped the horse causing it to pick up speed. He heard the wet, crunching sound of the boys body hitting the ground right behind him and dug his heels deeper into the sides of his horse.

"Levi, watch out!" he heard Hange scream. Not knowing what she was talking about he tugged his horse the the left and tried to ride in another direction to avoid whatever he was being warned about. Before he could fully turn he was hit in the side of his head with one of the dead scouts full gas canisters.

He heard both Mike and Hange yell again behind him but couldn't make out what they were saying before he blacked out. Slumping forward and to the side he started to fall off his horse but was caught by the foot rest and his hand tangled in the reigns.

Hange and Mike watched as Levis horse jumped up, panicked, and started to run in the opposite direction of them.

"Fuck." Hange said under her breath as she saw the abnormal almost within grabbing distance of them. "Ride harder, we have to make it to that tree line ahead of us, we can take him out there!" she yelled to Mike and James.

"But what about the captain?" James yelled ahead while looking back at the titan reaching out to try and grab him.

"We'll circle around and find him after, we have to take the titan out first."

Nodding in agreement the three scouts dashed towards the thick tree line ahead of them. Once there all three shot their gear up and disappeared into the trees. The abnormal didn't lose much speed as he ran right into the forest taking some of the smaller trees down as he went. Wildly he swung his head and arms around searching for a human snack. Swinging down from one of the taller branches Mike drifted along the ground slicing through the titans right Achilles but missing the left.

This still brought the titan down to one knee and gave Hange the opportunity to cut a clean chunk off it's neck dealing a final blow.

"Woohoo!" Hange yelled swinging through the air and meeting Mike and James on a branch. "now wasn't that fun!" she said hitting the young scout on the back and laughed with her hand on her hip.

"We should go now, we need to find Levi." said Mike as he sniffed the air. "I can't smell him anymore but I can't smell any titans either so he might still be safe."

"Don't you think he'll just head back to us? Maybe we should just stay here...o-or head back to camp!" the scared scout said twiddling his fingers.

"He was knocked unconscious, who knows how hard that canister hit him. He could be out for a while." Mike replied.

"Yeah, I remember when I was working on those canisters trying to adjust them to fit more air and I lost control of one. It blew through my whole office before hitting me in the head. I was out for hours!" Hange said still laughing and reminiscing with the memory.

The scared scout sighed and nodded to Mike and the three of them jumped down from the trees to their horses and started in the opposite direction.

As more and more time went by the three scouts grew more and more worried. They had split up and searched all angles but saw no sign of their captain or his horse. As the sun started to set they decided to head back.

While riding back in silence, a thick nausea setting in their stomachs and an ache in their chests, they wondered. Had they really lost their comrade, their captain? Had they really lost humanity's last hope?


	2. Chapter 2

Levi's POV

Before my eyes were even open I could feel the dull pain throbbing through my temple. With each slowly paced bounce the pain spread farther around my head. Finally opening my eyes I could just barely see the top of the sun setting beneath the land between the thick trees surrounding me. Realizing I was hunched on the side of the horse, just the wrong bump away from falling off it, I grabbed the reigns and pulled myself back up to a sitting position.

I looked around me to see more trees. Pinching the bridge of my nose I took a deep breath and tried to remember what happened. I remembered the abnormal titan chasing us. We were gonna get ahead of it, get to the trees and take him down there. Did we?

I thought harder. I remembered a scream, a crunching sound. Blood.

Steve.

He tried to take the thing down himself, fucking idiot.

Slowly the rest of it started to come back to me. The titan throwing Steve instead of eating him, Hange yelling at me, the explosion of pain. Then nothing.

 _I must've passed out. How could I have let that happen._

I cursed myself before looking around again. I needed to get back to base. Luckily it was night now, there would be less titans out, more of a chance to get back. _But what way is back?_ I sighed and pinched my bridge again.

The pain pulsing through my head wasn't dimming and my grumbling stomach wasn't helping at all. I needed food. I needed to lie down, rest my head, but I had no time. I grabbed my small water pouch clipped to my saddle and took a swig. The cool water was refreshing and woke me up a bit more.

 _Maybe I should turn around. I'm not sure what way my horse went once I passed out. I think I was heading to the left of my squad. Either way I don't think heading straight is right._

Pulling the reigns I turned my horse around and we started in the opposite direction of which we came. It was only a few minutes before I felt something small hit my cheek. I quickly looked up grabbing my blades ready to jump off the horse. I saw nothing. I looked around me, still nothing. I touched my finger to my cheek just to realize it was water that landed on me.

"Tch, guess I'm more stressed than I thought." I said out loud. While I'm no stranger to fear I don't usually express it but being out here alone is a whole new situation. Not knowing where I was or what direction the base is in was a huge problem. While it was night now it wouldn't be for long and with the sun came titans.

More and more raindrops fell from the sky as I got my horse moving again. It started off as a drizzle but quickly started to pour. I pulled my hood up for the small amount of cover it offered and kicked my horse to pick up speed. I wanted to get out of this forest, maybe then I could get an idea of where I am.

We continued on for about a half hour and the woods around me seemed to just get denser. The trees were growing closer together, their branches swinging low enough that I had to duck every once in a while. Large, thick roots popped out of the ground making it harder to walk through the rough terrain without slowing down.

A bright light shot through the sky, a thunderous boom following it. Tired, hungry and still in pain I was caught of guard by the deafening sound and jumped, tugging on the reigns and digging my sharp heels into my horse. Frightened, my horse shook violently trying to buck me off of him. I tried gripping the reigns tighter but between the rain and another flash of lightning I lost my grip and was flung off.

I immediately twisted in the air trying to adjust myself to stop the fall. I was able to quickly put my foot out and make contact with the ground to gain balance again but the dirt had become mud and I slipped. Twisting my ankle I fell onto a large root hitting the back of my head against it and I once again found myself falling into darkness.

. . .

Cold. All I felt was cold. Whipping around me, pushing through my skin and seeping into my bones. I shivered. I coughed. I slept.

. . .

Pain. I was still cold but the pain was so strong it overpowered anything else I was feeling. Each bump that shook my body was agonizing. Everything hurt. Every muscle, every limb. My wet clothes scratching against my skin felt like sandpaper. I wondered where I was but was to exhausted to hold onto a thought. I hadn't even opened my eyes before I fell asleep again.

. . .

I woke up to the sound of myself groaning. My body twitched and pain shot throughout it. My head was pulsing and I couldn't open my eyes. I opened my mouth to take a deep breath but my throat was so dry I only coughed. Pressure bubbled up in my chest as I tried to take in more air.

Another groan. Or was it a whisper? Something smooth touched my lips and I jumped slightly, too sore to move much. Cool water streamed into my mouth and I instinctively rose my head slightly and swallowed. The relief was instant.

I could breath easier as I laid back down. My head pulsed and a shiver went through me. I was still so cold.

"Cold." I whispered, I wasn't sure if the sound even came out of my mouth.

I heard a sigh, or was it the wind? A gentle bouncing pace started again causing short bursts of pain every now and then. I fell back into the darkness once more.

. . .

The clanging of metal woke me, each bang piercing my ears and knocking on the inside of my head. I lifted my hand to my throbbing temple and touched the tender skin. It was wet, my hair plastered to my face with sweat. I slowly tried to sit up and groaned at the deep ache that washed over my body.

"Oh! You're up." a gentle but surprised voice said.

My eyes shot open and I looked around. I was lying on a bed, shirtless and sweaty, my gear nowhere in sight. The house I was in was filthy, clutter filled every corner, stacks of books almost touching the ceiling. Vines, leaves and other plants I both have and haven't seen before covered the walls and shelves. The only light came from the dusty window across the room.

A small cot was laid on the floor next to the bed I was lying on. A thin blanket and an opened book laid face down on it. A small table above the top of the cot was also covered with a short stack of more books, a couple plates and a tall glass of water.

On the opposite side of the room was a small girl in a long white dress holding a pot in one hand and a glass jar in the other. Her long, brown hair was messy, tangled and falling in her face. Her big green eyes stared back at me, a mix of surprise, excitement and fear all glossing over them at once.

"Who the fuck are you?" I growled instinctively reaching my hand to my hips expecting to find my blades.

The small girl squeaked and flinched at the harsh sound of my words. Gently putting the pot down over a small flame behind her and placing the glass jar on another table she took a step towards me and spoke.

"I know you must be scared, you're pretty far from ho-"

"I said who the fuck are you" I cut her off raising my voice but my throat was dry and scratchy and I started to cough violently.

The girl gasped and ran over to my side. Kneeling down by the side of the bed she grabbed the glass of water next to us and handed it to me.

"Please, drink this. You have't had much water in the past couple days, you need it."

I slapped the glass out of her outstretched hand and it flew to the side spraying water all over her face and dress before shattering on the wooden floor.

"Who. The fuck. Are you?" I said once again.

This time, shaking and barley speaking above a whisper, she told me.

"Elizabeth."


	3. Chapter 3

**Levi's POV**

Seeing the girl in front of me shake in fear made me relax a little. She didn't seem like much of a threat but then again I could barley breathe without feeling pain.

"Where am I?" I asked glaring at her.

"W-we're in my house." she replied avoiding eye contact.

"No shit idiot, where's the house located."

"I'm...not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure? You said you live here, was that a lie?"

"No! I-it's not. I'm just not quite sure where here is." she said looking down at her hands resting in her lap. "I don't have a map, and even if I did I'm still not sure I'd be able to figure out where I am exactly."

"What does that even mean?" I asked confused. "How did I get here then?"

"I found you, you were in the forest. I tried waking you up but you were out cold and soaking wet. I sat you up and noticed you were bleeding from your head."

I raised my hand to my temple again.

"No, in the back." she said looking at me.

I reached around to the back of my head to feel a thick scab through my hair. How had I not felt that before?

"I managed to get you into my cart, you were kinda heavy." she started again with a slight smile that disappeared when I glared at her again "once the rain stopped and it was morning I tried waking you up again but you had a horrible fever. You were sweating and red all over. You're skin was almost too hot to touch. I honestly wasn't sure if you were going to make it."

She looked back up at me but I stayed silent waiting for her to continue.

"I rushed back here as soon as I could but it still took almost two days and it ended up rainin-"

"Wait, what?" I said staring wide-eyed at her.

She just mirrored the same look back at me.

"Did you say two days?"

"Yeah." she whispered.

"And we didn't get eaten by titans?"

She paused for a second. "Hmm, haven't heard anyone call them titans before...but no, we didn't. I saw maybe two or three of them but they were pretty far away from us."

I gave her a puzzled look. "How long have I been asleep?"

She looked up in thought for a moment before replying. "From when I found you, four days. But I'm not sure how long you had been out before that. The past two days we've been here. I cleaned you up a little, you were covered in mud and blood but you sweat most of it off. I've just been feeding you broth because I was scared you'd choke on something solid."

"And how exactly did we get here if you don't even know where here i-?" I asked before coughing again.

She jumped up and filled another glass of water. I actually took this one when she hesitantly offered it to me and gulped it down quickly.

"Do you want more?" she asked when I finished the glass.

I stared at her for a minute before giving her a slight nod. After finishing half of the second glass I put it down on the small table next to me.

"You haven't answered my question." I said.

She was now sitting in a chair she pulled up to end of the bed bringing her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

"I've lived here for the past four years, I went searching for the first time again in three years when I found you. I kind of have a system. I use a lot of different things like big sticks and rocks to mark my path so I can find my way back. I also try to remember any landmarks I see in case I can't find a mark I've left behind."

"And when you say here do you mean a town?"

She shook her head lightly looking down. "I wish, I haven't seen another town in almost 7 years." she said sadly. "At least one that had people in it."

I took a deep breath and rested my head in my hands. This was all so much, I wasn't sure what to think. I heard Elizabeth get out of her seat and looked up from my sweaty palms. She was leaned over the bed facing me, closer than I wanted her to be. I furrowed my brow at her as she quickly raised her hand and lightly brushed her knuckles against my forehead.

"You're fevers gone." She said snapping her hand back before I could react. "You should eat something solid." Turning around she headed back towards the pot of water that was now boiling. She took the pot off the flame and blew it out before filling a cup with the hot water.

"Would you like some tea?" She asked looking back at me.

I nodded. Tea sounded great.

She filled another mug that she took down from a shelf above her and added a few leaves from the glass jar she had put down earlier to each cup. I watched her walk over to a small closet I didn't notice before and pull out half a loaf of bread and two apples. Biting one apple and holding it in her mouth she balanced a cup of tea in one hand with the food in the other and went to set it down at the table next to me but grunted when she realized there wasn't enough room.

I reached out and took the food from her while she made some room to set the tea down.

Once she was seated again with her tea and apple she looked at me and gave me a sympathetic smile. "I know things seem crazy right now and I'm sorry about that. I promise I'll try to explain everything as well as I can."

"Tch." I rolled my eyes and bit into the loaf of bread.

"And I promise I'll get you back home." She said with determination.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, I had some real trouble writing this chapter. I'm not sure what it was, I knew what I needed to explain to you guys and get out there, I just had no idea how to type it out! I think I rewrote almost every paragraph in this chapter like 3 times...oh well, I hope at least you guys enjoy it. Please let me know what you think, it really boosts my confidence and improves my writing :) Also thank you too the lovely reviewers who already commented, I loved hearing what you thought and it made me smile so hard! Hoping to have another chapter up soon.**

* * *

 **Levi's POV**

After eating I felt much better, my fever was gone but the dull ache in my head remained. I tried moving to get out of bed but noticed a sharp pain in my right ankle. Looking down at it I noticed it was swollen and slightly bruised. Cursing to myself I used the few pillows on the bed to prop myself up into a more comfortable sitting position. Although we hadn't talked since I started eating Elizabeth hadn't taken her eyes off me.

"Why are you still staring at me?" I asked

"Sorry, this is all just really exciting to me," she said blushing a little.

I raised one brow confused by her comment.

"Well...maybe exciting isn't the word you'd wanna hear in your position. I just haven't seen another human in so long, I haven't been able to actually have a conversation with someone in years. It's...nice." She looked down into her cup of tea like it held the meaning to all of this.

Another human? So she's been living on her own for years and has survived, even with the Titans?

"How have you survived against titans on your own for this long?" I asked taking in more of her appearance.

She was a small girl who was even shorter than me. While she was lean she didn't seem very muscular and even through her dress you could see she had a bit of meat spread graciously throughout her body. She probably wasn't weak but I'd find it very hard to believe this girl could take out even one titan.

"They don't attack me. They basically just ignore me," she said with a shrug like it was no big deal.

"What do you mean ignore you? That makes no sense, are you a titan?" I blurted out.

"No! I'm not a titan, although I have met people that are." she sighed again taking a minute to collect her thoughts "Have you ever heard of Guardians?"

"Guardians? You mean like military guards?" I asked, nothing else similar enough coming to mind.

"No, not like that." She said snuggling deeper into her chair. " When I was younger I lived in a very small village who didn't have a government with one single ruler like most places I had been. Instead, they had three elders.

When I first came to their village I met with them asking if I could stay, they were very surprised that I had traveled so far on my own outside a wall or another village. They considered me a good omen and offered me a place to stay and food to eat along with work. It wasn't till a little after my first month there that the oldest elder asked to meet with me.

He brought me to a small library that contained every known book and bit of information the village had. Some were written by people within the village or the elders themselves to pass down information and some, they claimed, were from before the village even existed. He gave me a very small book that contained all kinds of fictional stories but there was only one he really wanted me to see.

It spoke of special people who were referred too as Guardians. They were able to travel anywhere in the world without fear. The Titans posed no danger to them. They were free." She paused looking out the window to her right.

"Some left their hometowns to travel and bring back new information to help their people but most who left were never seen again. Some stayed, they realized that not only were they ignored by the Titans but their families and loved ones, as long as they were close by, were as well.

The last page of that story was missing along with a few other pages throughout the book. The man let me keep it too, I have it somewhere in here." She finished and looked around at the stacks of books towering throughout the small home before looking back at me. "Your tea's going to get cold."

I snapped out of my daze and looked down at the cup of tea I had picked up but never sipped. This girl was something else. A Guardian? If this was all true, if the Titans really didn't care for her, she could help us. Four eyes would lose her shit over this.

Ignoring my tea once again I asked, "So you can protect other people?"

She nodded, "Only from titans, but they have to be relatively close to me. I'm not sure how many people I would be able to protect but I know it's not a lot. Two or three maybe. And it affects all people differently, there are some people that I had no effect on." her eyes shifted down at this, clearly trying to hide the sadness in them.

"So you can protect people, but how. Is it like a shield, a barrier that stops them from getting too close?"

"I don't think so like I said I don't know much about it. Why it happens or what causes it. But they usually just ignore me, either turn the other way, go after something else." She said drinking more of her tea.

"Are there others?" I asked firmly.

She hesitated at this, tensing her body and lowering her head to look into her mug.

"No." was all she said and with that, she got up and placed the empty cup in a tub of water on the counter behind her.

I took this time to think about everything she had told me. It was hard to grasp it all, to believe it. I took a sip of my lukewarm tea and an explosion of flavor burst in my mouth. Almost chocking and trying to hide my surprise I asked, "What is this?"

Elizabeth giggled, whatever sour thought she had before now gone. "It's peppermint, have you never had it before? It doesn't grow in many places, it needs a lot of care."

"No," I said taking another sip. It was delicious. Cooling and refreshing.

"Well, I'm glad you like it." She said smiling at me.

"Tch, just another thing I know nothing about." I said slightly rolling my eyes.

This made her frown, she walked back over to her seat and brought her knees back up to her chest. "As I said, I know this is all a lot to take in. Trust me, I've been on the other side of this. You can ask me any questions you have."

I stayed silent for a moment taking a few more sips of my tea. Of course I had questions. Not only had I woke up somewhere I've never been with someone I've never met. Someone who shouldn't even be alive, but I lost my squad, my city. While I was feeling conflicted I didn't let it show. How do I know this girl was even telling the truth, everything that came out of her mouth could be nonsense. If this was all true, and she had this 'power' why wasn't she using it? Why was she hiding away from humanity instead of helping?

"I didn't know there were people outside our wall. We thought everyone else was dead." I said coldly.

She snorted "Yeah, that's what everyone says. I was surprised the first time I met someone outside my walls too. There are people out there. I haven't seen them in years but they're there. You're proof aren't you?" She said but not quite as a question. "I'm proof."

I started at her for a second without replying and looked back around the room searching for a window to look out. I wanted to see where I was. Being outside the walls wasn't new to me but it also took her two days just to get here. I tried looking out the window along the wall to my left but could only see the darkening sky in the top corner.

"What's around us?" I finally asked.

"A small lake, some woods, mainly just open land...oh, and my garden." She paused for a second "Besides the direction I went and found you I've only searched in one other direction and that was quite some time ago, wasn't much there either."

"Why'd you stop?" I stared at her again, my face revealing no emotion to her.

She didn't answer but instead asked me a question. "How far were you from your home when I found you?"

"Tch, if I knew I would be home right now." I said glaring at her.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at me before sighing deeply and getting back up. "I have some stuff I need to do before I decide to stay in for the night, now that you're awake I can just have Django watch over you for me." She turned and started to walk towards the door in the far right corner of the room. Opening it, she stuck her head out and whistled twice.

"I thought you said it was just you?" I asked, my defense rising at the sound of another name.

She smiled at me and popped her head out the door again for a minute before opening it fully. A small dog trotted in, his fur white with light colored spots covering his body. Once he saw me he barked quietly and walked over to me. He jumped up on the bed, his tail almost knocking over my teacup, and started trying to lick my face.

"Uhg, disgusting." I said pushing him away and wiping his slobber off my face.

Elizabeth laughed, "Don't be mean, he just wants to say hi!"

I grunted and stopped him from jumping back on the bed with me. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and said, "If you need me just tell him to come get me and he will." She put on a coat that was hung up next to the door "You can make more tea or get more food if you like, just look around for it, and the bathroom is around the corner" She said pointing behind her to a very short hallway that immediately turned into a small bathroom. With that, she turned and smiled at me before heading out the door.

I sighed and looked around again and thought about picking up a book to read. Looking at the massive piles of dust-covered books I quickly changed my mind. A bath was what I really wanted, I could feel the filth covering my body. Pulling the thin blanket off me I swung my legs off the bed and tested some weight on my ankle. When it seemed fine I stood up but almost fell back down from the sharp pain that shot through my ankle and up my lower leg. Django, who had curled up on the small cot next to the bed, quickly got up and stood next to me, pressing his side against my uninjured leg. Deciding not to let the pain stop me I started to limp in the direction of the bathroom when the door Elizabeth had just walked out of quickly opened again.

Just her head popped in, her long hair now fashioned into a large bun on the top of her head, small strands falling around her face and the same smile still plastered there.

"Oh, and don't stay up too late, tomorrow it's my turn to ask some questions!" she squealed before disappearing once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! So as much as I disliked the last chapter I wrote I feel happier with this one, I think it was switching up the POV. I felt that in the last chapter I wasn't getting Levi's character/personality right but it's a lot easier with Elizabeth because she's my own character. I still plan on going back and forth between both of their POV's but I think writing as Elizabeth makes it easier to write and work on Levi's personality. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Feel free to Follow, Favorite and Review! :)**

 **PS. I also apologize for the huge grammar issues with the last chapter which was pointed out to me, I accidentally copy &pasted the unedited version (Fixed it!), I usually use Grammarly but even then I still have things I miss so you if see something please point it out! :)**

* * *

 **Elizabeth's POV**

Wiping the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand I tossed the last tomato into the small, woven basket next to me and sighed. It was a warm night and with no lights around, besides the moon reflecting off the water next to me, you could easily see every star filling the sky. Clapping my hands together to dust off the dirt covering them I leaned back and laid down in the grass as I watched the stars, the moon was almost full and shone brightly with no clouds to cover it. I searched the sky for the familiar constellations that were scattered throughout it and thought back on the past couple of days.

I had brought this man into my home and had no idea who he was. His almost emotionless face and bored tone made me uncomfortable, anyone else I'm sure would be freaking out. Maybe he just didn't see me as a threat but he sure seemed nervous when he realized we were out in open Titan territory. I shook the thought away and blamed his strange behavior on his previous fever. I'm sure I wasn't helping either, years without human contact really made me forget the fact that others _had_ to fear the Titans, and not to mention my manners. A sudden realization made me bring my hands to my face and groan into them.

"I never even asked his name," I said aloud. I really needed to think about what I was doing. The first person I see in years and I'm about to push them away with pure ignorance to common sense. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I did everything I could to make him feel comfortable, I made sure to let him ask all the questions before I bombarded him with mine. And boy did I have questions.

Who was he, not just his name but as a person. Where was he from, what was it like, how many people were there? He was wearing a uniform so he must be part of some type of military or defense maybe, and his weapons were quite advanced. The contraption around his waist intrigued me but I was too nervous to mess around with it not knowing what it could do, the most I noticed were the blades. It was a hassle to get off him but I had to, I didn't know if he'd try to use them on me when he woke up. The harness strapped over his body was just as difficult to get off.

I blushed remembering when I had to undress him because of his fever. It had been so long since I had touched someone, felt skin against skin. And not just that but his body was beautiful, chiseled and muscular, obvious he had had years of training and exercise. I pushed the thought down and worried more. What was I supposed to do? I've been in situations similar to this but every time I always find myself asking the same question. I had no idea how he felt or what he was thinking, especially due to the fact that I've only seen the same bored expression on his face since he woke up. He was going to make this hard.

I was going to bring him home though, I promised him. I can't keep someone with me, I'd feel like I was trapping them. Keeping them as a pet knowing they could never leave my side or make it back home without me. As much as I wanted him to stay, anyone to stay, it just wasn't fair.

Groaning once again I sat back up and gather my things. I had given him some time to himself, I wasn't quite sure it was the best idea but I figured it would give him some time to think for himself and register everything that's happening. Plus, taking care of him for the past two days has caused me to fall behind on some of my gardening. Since I had only been feeding him broth and liquids I had been eating the same with the exception of some bread and fruits and I was sure we could both use a nice meal. I had already gone fishing before the sun set completely knowing I could do my gardening in the dark.

 _I hope he likes fish._

Finally feeling that I had given him enough time and praying he wasn't gone out a window or ready to jump from the ceiling and slice me I headed back to the house. If I was lucky he'll hopefully be asleep and getting the rest he needs. While his fever was gone he was still weak and his ankle was still injured. If I really needed to, I might be able to take him.

I ignored the thought as I opened the door and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed now wearing the shirt I had taken off and washed. The tips of his hair were still damp showing that he had showered. The weapons he kept around his waist were now next to him on the bed and at the sound of me entering the house, he quickly reached his hand to grab one of the blades.

I stopped in the door frame at the sight of him grabbing the handle of his weapon. I stared at him as he glared back at me and after a moment he clicked his tongue and took his hand off the handle.

"This place is filthy." was all he said looking around the room.

I furrowed my brow at his comment and walked into the house closing the door behind me. Placing the vegetables and fruit I had picked and the fish on the counter I replied, "That's definitely not what I expected to hear. I thought you'd be back asleep by now."

He didn't say anything back, just looked around the room more with a disgusted look on his face. _Hmm, guess he has one other emotion_. I decided to start cooking now since we were both still up and my stomach was telling me it didn't want to wait until morning. While starting a small fire and cutting up some veggies and fish I decided to pick up the conversation again.

"I realize I never asked your name, I guess I have to read up on my manners a little huh?" I said with a small laugh.

He paused as if considering if he should even bother telling me his name before replying, "Levi."

"Levi," I repeated, the name slipping off my tongue easily, my teeth trying to trap it at my bottom lip before it could end.

I was about to ask him more about himself or where he came from before he spoke up, "You mentioned other walls, were either of those Wall Maria or Wall Rose?"

I thought for a moment but already knew the answer, "No, I've never heard of those before, is that where you're from?"

"Yes." he paused again, "So there are other walls, other cities?" he said as if he was just talking to himself.

I made an effort to remember what he had called the monsters that roamed our world, "Most places I have been have had walls, it seems to be the most common and successful way of keeping the Titans out. All other villages I've seen that had no wall were empty and nearly destroyed." I tossed the cut up fish and veggies onto a pan, "That's what this place is, I found it while traveling. There are two other buildings but they're torn down, this was all that was left. I was able to get the pipes working again and it already had a lot of old furniture in it."

Levi didn't respond but instead got up and limped overlooked out the window to my left. He stared out it, his shoulders and jaw clenched tightly. I watched him for a moment before going back to cooking. I wasn't sure what to say, as badly as I wanted to ask him questions he didn't seem like the talkative type. Worried he'd get annoyed I decided to stay silent and finish frying up the food. By the time I was finished cooking Levi was sitting back on the bed, Django lying at his feet. I had made cooked Salmon with fried spinach, carrots, and herbs, simple yet filling.

"I hope you like it, I'm not sure if you've had fish before," I said handing him his plate. I sat down on the cot next to the bed and Django came to curl up next to me knowing I'd give him some of my food. We ate in silence for a while before Levi finally spoke up.

"If I'm going to stay here for however long, we'll need to clean." My eyes widened and I ignored the obvious insult in his statement.

"You're okay with staying?" I was honestly surprised, while I had only known Levi for almost a day he didn't seem the type to settle easily. I thought I was going to have to put up a fight and convince him to stay until I could bring him back. Or even worse, that he'd just leave one day and maybe never make it home.

"Well, I won't be able to get back without you if what you say about your...power...is true." He looked at me with a bored expression, "And you know what's around here better than I do, I'd probably just get lost if I went myself."

I looked down at my food in thought, "Well, I know where I found you but I don't know where your home is from there so we may have to do some searching. You'll have to be fully healed, not just your fever but your ankle too." I paused not wanting to say what else was on my mind, "And like I mentioned before, there's no guarantee I can protect you."

I looked back up at Levi as he nodded, unfazed by the last part. We fell back into silence after that but this time it was more comfortable. I had finished my plate quickly and waited for Levi to finish his before I took it from him.

"Thank you." He said quietly without looking at me. I smiled and placed the plates on the ground for Django to lick clean. This made Levi's face twist with disgust. I laughed and, once the plates were free from any trace of leftover food, threw them into the water bin I used to wash them.

Exhausted I flopped down onto my cot, forgetting it wasn't as soft as my usual bed, and winced. The day had been long and my back hurt from gardening, I was ready to fall asleep once my head hit the pillow but I noticed Levi was still sitting on the bed wide awake.

"Are you not tired?" I asked yawning.

"I don't need much sleep." Was all he said.

Trying to keep my eyes open as I pulled my blanket up over my body I replied, "Well you should get some rest, I have a lot I wanna ask you." I paused, "And didn't you say we were cleaning tomorrow?" I glanced at Levi.

"Tch, go to sleep.," he said finally laying down on the bed.

I smirked to myself as Django came up and nudged his way under the covers with me and before I knew it I was fast asleep.

. . .

I woke up the next morning to a warm breeze. Wiping the sleep from my eyes I sat up and looked around. I found Levi standing by the window next to the door pulling it open. His pants were rolled up at the bottoms to just below his knees and a white cloth was tied around his face covering his mouth and nose.

"Good morning," I said chuckling at his appearance. "Is that my shirt?" I asked taking a closer look at the cloth wrapped around his face.

"It was the cleanest thing I could find." He said as he looked over at me. "Is it okay that I open these?" He asked furrowing his brow with worry. Confused at first I quickly realized he was worried about the Titans.

"Yeah it's fine, you can go anywhere in here and possibly outside along the garden since it's so close to the house," I said. "Plus, there aren't ever really Titans in this area, I think they wander closer to where there are more people."

Levi stayed silent with the same bored expression on his face. I sighed and got up realizing I had fallen asleep before getting a chance to change and was still in my dress. I went over to the chest to the left of the head of the bed and grabbed a shirt, pair of pants and undergarments out of it and without thinking stripped off my dress. Only when I heard Levi grunt did I realize that I was standing half naked with my back to him.

Blushing furiously I quickly covered myself with the clothes I had pulled out and turned to face him. "D-don't look!" I said as I ran to the bathroom to finish changing. After putting on a new set of clean clothes and washing my face I sighed. Looking at myself in the small cracked mirror above the bathroom sink I brushed out my hair and tried to think of what else I was going to need to be more aware of.

Coming out of the bathroom I saw Levi open the cabinets above the broken sink in the kitchen area. "S-sorry about that, I guess I have some things I'll need to wor-"

"I didn't see anything," Levi said cutting me off. I watched him as he limped over to the other set of cabinets and searched inside them for whatever he was looking for.

"Hey, you're still limping you probably shouldn't be up," I said walking over to him and grabbing his arm to help support him. Levi immediately tensed up and turned his head to glare at my hand resting on his arm. Wide-eyed I slowly let go and let out a whisper of an apology.

"I'm looking for cleaning supplies." He said after letting some of the tension go.

"Uhhh," I tried to think but my mind was all over the place between just waking up and everything that had just happened with Levi.

"Tch, don't tell me you don't have any."

I let out a weak laugh and rubbed the back of my head, "How about we start with just putting some stuff away and then maybe we'll find some."

Levi grunted and walked over to a large stack of books. "Here" I tossed him the dress I had worn yesterday, "Use this to dust, I'll wash it later." I turned around to get started on the opposite side of the room before realizing that Levi didn't have a change of clothes.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure I have some stuff that would fit you," I said as I started dusting off the cabinets and counter. "I can wash your clothes when I wash mine."

"I'll change after we finish cleaning, no point in getting more stuff dirty," he said in his monotone voice.

This time I clicked my tongue at him and rolled my eyes. We spent the rest of the morning cleaning what we could with what we had. I had dusted and wiped down the entire kitchen area while Levi and picked up almost every book in the house and dusted and organized them in the far left corner of the house by my clothing chest.

"You have so much shit." He said looking around at the last couple piles he had to go through.

"There's a whole shed outside connected to the house that I store all my findings in, there's a lot of amazing things in there! I'll show you sometime before we end up leaving." I said as I backed away to get a full view of the cleaning job I did. "How's it look?" I asked smiling to myself.

Levi came over, still slightly limping although he was trying to act like he was fine, and ran a finger across the counter. " Tch, go over it all again." He said before going back to his task. I stared at him wide-eyed with my jaw hung open. When he didn't react I groaned loudly and started cleaning again this time making sure I got every nook and cranny there was.

Once I had finished cleaning my area a second time I sighed loudly and threw myself of the bed. I was tired, hot and hungry. Being so distracted from the cleaning I realized we had never ate breakfast. I looked over at Levi who was just dusting off the last small pile of books. The small room I called home looked bigger already without all my stuff piled everywhere.

"Wow, the place really looks good!" I said sitting up and smiling at him. "should we eat something to celebrate?"

"We aren't even close to done," he said side eyeing me.

I pouted and got up, "Well I'm starving so I'm going to eat. Do you want something too?"

Levi ignored me and continued to clean until his stomach growled loudly for both of us to hear. He paused mid wipe and I could almost see a slight blush covering his cheeks. "Sure."

After cooking some eggs and grabbing us some bread we ate and took a much-needed break. Levi immediately went back to cleaning and I followed wanting to get it over with. It took us almost all day but we finally finished just as the sun started to set. The place was spotless and although all the previous clutter was still there it was neatly organized and put away into corners and onto shelves. My plants still consumed the walls and most of the shelves and Levi was clearly annoyed realizing he couldn't get rid of them but quickly got over it once I explained how they were there to purify the air inside.

Although he didn't talk much he did listen as I told him about all the books I had gathered throughout my travels. I had found many and had taken all and any that had new information for me to learn about. I also had plenty of fiction books and talked about how I would often use them to escape my own lonely world. Levi seemed to nod and agree with that himself and I made a mental note to pick out a couple books to let him read.

I had made us both tea, peppermint again since it seemed he had liked it, and we both sat down to finally relax. My neck and shoulders felt tight and my lower back was sore as if I had gardened all day. It had been so long since I deep cleaned like this, as sore as I was the extra space and new feel to the room made it all worth it. Snuggling into a chair while Levi sat on the bed, silent as usual, I began to think of where to start with my questions.

"Are there a lot of people where you're from?" I asked blowing into my steaming teacup.

"Yeah," he said staring into his "Too many. We don't have enough space, ever since the Titan's took down one of our walls."

"How many walls do you have?" I asked curiously. I had never been to a place that had more than one.

"Three, the outer wall, wall Maria, is where they got in."

"Hmm," I said taking a sip. I wondered how big his city must be to have three walls and of all the people living there. It sounded bigger than any place I had been, maybe they had someone else like me. I cringed at the thought and pushed down the bitter memory trying to resurface. "I noticed you had a uniform on, are you part of some type of military?"

"Yes, our military is broken up into three divisions. The Military Police, who are supposed to protect the kind but really just sit around all day and wouldn't last a minute against a Titan. Then there's the Garrison, they keep order within the walls but they're just as lazy as the guys above them." He clicked his tongue in annoyance "Lastly is the Survey Corps, we're the only ones who actually fight against the Titans. Supposed to be the elite, best of the best, but get treated like shit even though we're the ones risking our lives so the rest of them can sit on their ass all day." His face twitched in anger at the corruptness of his city.

I nodded in understanding, everywhere was corrupt, the rich living comfortable and fat while the poor struggled and starved. I've seen many horrors of kings and leaders with power gone straight to their head. I've seen people hung, sacrificed, sold. It wasn't something I missed.

We sat for a while as I asked more questions. He told me more about where he was from and what life was like there. He told me about the people he worked with and spoke of one woman, who he called shitty-glasses, with visible annoyance but a sort of underlying affection. While he didn't go into much detail I got an understanding of what his world was like. Hearing of other people made my heart race and then sink a moment later. It had been so long and while thinking of meeting all these new people, when I brought him back, made me fill with excitement, a deep-rooted anxiety made me shiver.

I had found myself watching Levi intensely as he spoke. While he was more relaxed than the day before he still was stiff and clearly on guard. His eyes were constantly shifting between the cup in his hands and the windows throughout the house. His jaw would tense at every small sound, his fingers twitching as if getting ready to reach for his blades that weren't by his sides. I felt bad seeing him like this, trying to imagine how he felt being on edge every second. I sighed as my eyelids got heavier and eventually drifted to sleep curled up on a small chair with my, now cold, tea still in my hands.


	6. Chapter 6

**Levi's POV**

I watched the girl, who I had been living with for the past two days now, fall asleep in her chair without a care in the world. I studied her quietly while finishing my tea. Her long hair was still pulled back into a ponytail with stray pieces falling around her face. Her skin was smooth and golden from spending so much time in the sun and I noticed a brush of freckles across her cheeks I hadn't seen before. She had this carelessness about her, a fluidity in every movement she made as if nothing mattered. As much as I wanted to deny it, it was refreshing.

Sighing, I leaned back closing my eyes. I hadn't been myself these past couple days. I so easily let this girl convince me to stay, listened to her, believed her. While I was still wary of the whole situation I truly did not see her as a threat, but Titans were a different story. Did I really believe her? Although it seemed impossible there still wasn't another explanation for how she has survived out here for as long as she says.

My mind filled with questions again. I had so many whirling around my mind that I couldn't think of just one. There were so many things I wanted to ask, should have asked, but every time I had a question three more followed it. It was all too much to take in at once, I needed to be able to think it all through, sort it all out and I couldn't do that while I wasn't in my right mind. Maybe that fever really did mess me up.

I thought about going home, how badly I wanted too. I'd leave now and make the journey alone if I knew where I was going, but I was lost in this unfamiliar land. She was my only hope. I pushed down the anxiety of never finding our way back, never making it, being stuck here forever. It wasn't something I wanted, to depend on someone else to protect me. But truth was, there was no way I could survive out here alone. No matter how skilled I was I couldn't take down titans every day for the rest of my life. My blades would eventually break, my gas would run out. I pushed this all down, deeper this time, and tried to think of something else.

I realized that I was actually starting to miss home more than I thought. I missed my clean room, my warm bed. I missed my tea and my own clothes. I was even starting to miss some of the annoying brats I had to deal with. I found myself wondering what four-eyes would do in this situation and cursed to myself. I definitely didn't miss her...right.

I slowly got up, careful not to put too much weight on my ankle, and brought my empty cup to the small corner of the room she called her kitchen. I washed the cup and put it away, I was going to make sure this place didn't become a mess again as long as I was here.

The room was dark now, the only light coming from the bright moon shining through the windows. I wasn't tired but knew I should try to rest, I wanted to heal as fast as possible. I grabbed a book from one of the piles I had organized and tossed it onto the bed for me to read later. I then walked over to Elizabeth and tried to wake her.

"Hey," I said but she didn't move.

"Idiot," I said louder, this time she groaned quietly and shifted in her seat. Getting annoyed I kicked her chair with my uninjured foot. This woke her and she jumped in her seat with a squeal.

"What the fuck," she said looking at me wide-eyed.

"You shouldn't sleep on that chair, it's bad for your back," I said as I made my way over to the bed. I looked down at her small cot on the floor and realized that probably wasn't any more comfortable than the chair.

"Wow, you're so kind." She said, the words dripping with sarcasm. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll sleep on the floor, there's no reason for me to stay in your bed," I said getting ready to sit down on the cot.

"What, no. You should stay on the bed, you're the injured one. Trust me, the floor is a cloud compared to some of the places I've slept." she said as she came over to stand on the cot, not letting me sit. I glared at her, "I can fall asleep anywhere." she said with a smirk and glanced back at the chair.

"Tsk, suit yourself," I said turning back to the bed and lying down before opening the book I had grabbed. She smiled genuinely at me before grabbing a change of clothes and walking into the bathroom. I had already changed into a pair of moth-eaten trousers and a light t-shirt she had given me. My uniform was hung up outside to dry after she had washed them by the lake.

She came back out in a baggy, off-white nightdress that fell just below her knees. The long sleeves hung well past her hands and the collar dropped low to reveal quite a bit of her chest. She was combing a broken handled brush through her hair and humming quietly to herself. While I wasn't one to stare there was no denying she was attractive. Her big green eyes were gentle as she looked at me and the small smile she gave me made it hard to look away but I managed.

Shifting my eyes back to the book in my hands I started to read it, not really caring what it was about. It didn't take me long to realize it was a book about plants. The hand-drawn pictures of colored flowers and curling leaves labeled with unfamiliar names gave it away quickly. I read over the new information with an interest I wasn't expecting. _Couldn't hurt to learn._ I ignored Elizabeth as she dropped down onto her cot and snuggled under her blanket, holding up the corner to let her dog curl up underneath with her.

"Uhg, today was long," she groaned as she adjusted her pillow. "Aren't you tired?"

"I don't usually sleep much," I said without looking away from the book.

"Oh yeah, you said that last night," she turned to lie on her back and stared up at the ceiling with her hands clasped together below her chest. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, she seemed deep in thought with a worried look on her face.

"Something on your mind?" I asked.

She paused as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to answer me, "No, just tired."

She turned on her side and curled around the breathing lump in her blanket. I decided not to press further and started reading again. It wasn't long before I heard her breaths get deeper and smaller, a quiet snore slipping out every now and then. I stayed awake for a while flipping through the book and staring at the images throughout it. It was even harder for me to fall asleep here than back at home. I was constantly tense, on guard, waiting for a Titan to peek in a window, but that didn't stop my eyes from eventually weighing down and before I knew it I had fallen asleep with the open book still in my hands.

. . .

 _Boom._

The sound of cups and plates rattling, cabinets shaking open, and a deep rumble woke me. I sat up quickly, looking around and wondering if I had just imagined it.

 _Boom._

The house shook again and I could feel the ground trembling beneath us. My breath hitched as my mind raced. I knew what it was immediately. A Titan. My eyes quickly scanned the room for my gear hung up by the front door but landed on Elizabeth still sleeping on her cot, unfazed by the rumbling ground beneath her. Django was already up and out from under the blanket staring at the window. Panic rose into my throat but I swallowed it. I was safe...right? Elizabeth said they would just ignore us, but there was a chance it wouldn't.

Another crash shook the house causing Django to growl at the window. Without thinking I jumped up to grab my gear, forgetting about my injured ankle. Once my foot hit the ground and my weight adjusted on it I grunted in pain. Elizabeth finally stirred below me and looked up. I kept my face as calm as I could but she must have seen past it. The next heavy footstep we heard confirmed her thoughts and a flash of fear washed over her face but quickly disappeared. My breathing was heavy and my heart was racing as I watched Elizabeth slowly get up with a sigh. She was so calm, or at least was good at pretending she was.

"Stay here," she said quietly with tired words. I watched her move over to the front door, wiping the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. I wanted to reach out and stop her, grab her and pull her back inside as she opened the door. Fear ran through my body like electricity and it took everything I had to stay back and remind myself what she told me. _She told me they don't bother her, she's going to be fine_. My mind screamed at me as I watched her walk out the door and close it behind her but I ignored it and rushed over to the window.

I couldn't see her at first but I could see the Titan in the distance. It was pretty far away but the 12 meter Titan shook the ground with every step easily. I watched it as a swirl of emotions washed through me, my fight or flight setting in even deeper. Every inch of my body twitched begging me to grab my gear, to run, to fight, but I just watched. The Titan turned it's head to face me and I felt like it was staring right at me. My jaw tensed and my hands balled into fists by my sides. I was ready to fight if I needed to.

The titan started to walk in the direction of the house and I was about to turn and grab my gear before I saw Elizabeth walk into view from the side of the house. _Go, get her, save her! Fight!_ My mind screamed, but I stayed put ignoring everything I was ever taught. The closer she got to the titan the more my hands started to sweat and then I saw something I never thought I would see in my life.

Elizabeth lazily walked closer to the titan who was staring at her and stopped a couples yards away. Bringing her hands to her mouth she cupped them and yelled.

"Get outta here! Go away ya' ugly beast! We don't want you here!" I started out the window with my eyes wide and my jaw hung open, glad that nobody was there to see the expression on my usually blank face. I watched as the Titan stopped moving and continued to stare at her, it's mouth slightly hung open and eyes dead, almost looking past her. There was no way this was going to work. I was going to have to save us, save myself. That thing would never just walk away! But I was wrong.

She kept yelling at the Titan as she walked closer and closer. She picked up rocks and sticks and threw them at the Titan even though they did no damage and barely reached its ankles. The titan looked down at her now as she was within grabbing distance of it. She stood her ground glaring back up at the beast with her hands on her hips. She showed no fear as her long hair blew around her face in the slight breeze. I watched the Titan knowing that if he made a move I would never have time to make it to her, to save her, but he didn't. Instead, with a bored look washing over his face, he slowly turned and walked away from the tiny girl in a flowing white dress who stood much taller than her height. Once he was over the small hill and all I could see was his head as he walked away she turned back around and walked back towards the house.

This small mouse of a girl, thin and fragile looking, strode with more confidence than I had ever seen in someone. While I didn't see it before her strength was clear now, it wasn't visible on her body because it was deep in her. It flowed through her veins, filled her bones and seeped out through her skin. She was fearless. She was free.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi everyone, so happy to see people commenting and reading! I hope you enjoy this new update! I'm posting this late night without any grammar/spell checks so let me know if you see anything before I check it hopefully sometime around tomorrow!_

Elizabeth's POV

I was not fearless. The fear racing through my body was very much there but was nothing compared to the anger that blazed inside me. I hated the Titans. They had taken everything from me, my home, my family. They had killed every single person I had ever met, ever cared about.

 _Except for two._

Push it down. It doesn't matter, all that matters is this fiery hatred burning within me.

I wasn't free either. I was followed by the ghosts of the people I once had, the people I once loved. I was haunted by memories, flashbacks, triggers. I wasn't free, because I was alone. The emptiness around me caged me more than any walls could.

I couldn't go back inside. I couldn't look at Levi, the thought of losing another person suffocated me, making it hard to breath. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to cry and scream. But I needed to calm down, I couldn't lose myself. Not here, not in front of Levi.

I could see him watching me through the window, his usual bored expression stayed on his face but his eyes were filled with so many different emotions I couldn't pin point one of them. I sighed as I walked around the house, out of his view, and sat by the lake outside. The water was calm and the moonlight glistened off it making the dark water look like a sea of stars. I slipped my bare feet into the cold water and let it bring me back to my senses.

I always loved the water, It calmed me down quickly. But it wasn't long before I heard the door open and footsteps, almost so quite I wouldn't have noticed them if not listening.

I wasn't ready for this, I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a bit longer. But something in my chest fluttered at the familiar sound of another walking towards me. I _didn't_ want to be alone. Levi stood behind me for a moment before sitting down next to me.

"You were right," he said quietly looking out at the lake. I laughed.

"Why would I lie," I said without looking at him. I couldn't, I was scared if I did that he wouldn't really be there, that I'd wake up to realize this had all been a dream. It had been _so_ long. So _lonely_. I slowly leaned towards him, pressing my arm against his. I could feel the heat of him through my sleeves, the reassurance that he was there, that he was real. He tensed and looked down at me through the corner of his eye but didn't move.

The night was warm and my heart was still racing with adrenaline. Pushing myself off of Levi I stood up and started walking into the lake. The cool water was refreshing and smooth against my bare legs. I dunked under and stayed for a moment enjoying the muffled sounds. Coming back up I floated on my back and let the water lap over me, it felt comforting, like I was being hugged by the small waves. I closed my eyes and listened, listened to the wind blowing through the leaves, the crickets chirping in the tall grass, the sound of my own heartbeat.

It felt nice to just float, forget everything around me for a second. I wanted to stay longer, I wanted to let the gentle rocking lull me to sleep but I had tried that before and it didn't work out how I wanted. I wasn't trying to drown tonight. My body was getting heavy with sleep and my lids heavier so I decided to finally head back inside. I slowly stood and walked back towards the dry land while wringing out my long hair.

I stopped for a second as I made eye contact with Levi. He stared at me with blank eyes for a moment before quickly looking away, a blush so light I almost didn't see it tickled his cheeks. Confused I looked down and noticed my wet dress clung tightly to every inch of my body and had become quite see through. A much darker blush warmed my face as I tried to cover up and quickly stomped inside.

I really needed to be more aware that I had someone else living with me now.

Once inside I quickly dried off and changed in the bathroom before coming out to see Levi sitting on the bed. I walked over and sat down on the floor petting Django as he curled up next to me.

"Sorry," I said annoyed at myself "...again."

Levi _tsk_ ed and I ignored him while lying down. I knew he must have more questions but I wasn't up for answering them, I was tired and wanted to sleep. I wanted to stop thinking, stop remembering for now. Closing my eyes I tried to let myself fall back asleep but couldn't. While I had calmed down my mind was still racing. Although this time it wasn't my horrible memories coming to haunt me, it was worry. Worry of what could have happened to Levi, that I could lose another person.

Maybe I should have never left that day, never traveled. It had been so long, why did I have to go _then_? Maybe I wasn't ready to have people back in my life.

No.

My chest tightened at the though of being alone again. All those years with nobody to talk to, nobody to touch, nobody to just be around. Even if he was a tempered stranger of a man he was _somebody_. And I _needed_ somebody. 

Levi's POV

I wasn't sure what to think. I had so many questions but was left speechless. I already wasn't one to talk much but this was something else. This was something _big_. I wanted to talk to her, to ask her more about who she was and what exactly she could do but it was clear she didn't want to talk. Not to mention her lack of modesty was creating some awkward moments. Not that she wasn't something nice to look at.

I shook the thought from my head and frowned at myself. She was a stranger and I was on dangerous territory. No matter how beautiful she was I had to keep my guard up. Just because this Titan left doesn't mean the others will. Maybe that's what she was so obviously worried about. While she tried to hide the worried look on her face she wasn't very good at it.

No, it was more than just that. I could see it in her eyes, you could see everything in them. Sadness and worry mixed together and swirled like the green and honey colors within them. Her soft pink lips pouted slightly in though. Sometimes it was hard to look away from her.

But I did.

I picked up the same book I had been reading the night before to distract myself from the situation. I was almost done and it had taught me about many plants that I was hoping I would be able to remember. A few of them I even recognized from when Elizabeth told me about the ones in her house. I saw her turn on her side to face me out of the corner of my eye.

"What are you reading?" She asked as she placed both her hands under her head and stared up at me curiously.

"It's about plants, figured it could be useful information," I said without looking at her.

"I have quite a few herbology books, you can take some home with you if you like."

I hummed in response. They would be useful and I'm sure four-eyes would drool over them.

"I have a lot more informational books too," she said still watching me "I'll go through them tomorrow and see if I can find some good ones for you. Some fiction as well if you like."

I looked at her for a moment before returning to my book. "That would be nice."

She sighed lightly and snuggled deeper into her blanket. It wasn't long before her deep, slow breaths let me know she had fallen asleep. I read for a while longer hoping I would eventually fall asleep but I couldn't. Even as my eyes grew heavier and my arms couldn't hold up the book any longer. I would wake at every little sound, the wind blowing, Elizabeth moving, the birds chirping. I eventually gave up once I saw the sun rising. 

The next few days went by quickly. No more Titans showed up and I had grown more relaxed knowing there was truth to what Elizabeth had told me. I helped her around the house as much as I could without her yelling at me to lie down and rest my ankle. It was getting better but I still walked with a slight limp. Me fever was long gone and the addition of meat and fresh vegetables to my diet had made me feel even better than usual. I started working out and trained everyday with the extra time I wasn't used to having and bulked up quickly thanks to the protein.

Elizabeth taught me many thing too. She told me more about plants, specifically the fruits and vegetables she grew that I wasn't familiar with and told me she would send me home with plenty of seeds to start my own garden. I tried everything she offered and enjoyed most of the new flavors, although broccoli was not something I planned on eating again. Elizabeth laughed loudly at the disgusted face I made and swore it was better cooked but I didn't trust her. She had me try many different fruits that were all delicious and refreshing. Strawberries were my favorite. They were her's too.

She gave me a huge pile of books to read, anything between fictional stories of love and adventure to more informational books about space and even the ocean. I was amazed with the new information about the sea. I had heard Armin talking about it and even Hange but always thought it a myth. But these beautiful, colored paintings and drawings of beasts I could have never imagined made my head spin. Elizabeth had her own stories of the ocean as well. She told me of the smaller creatures she would find while playing and how salty the water was, how it would make your eyes sting, but only for a second. I have never tasted salt before.

Elizabeth's favorite was the book about space. _Astrology_ she called it while holding it up to me with her eyes wide with wonder and excitement. She basically read the whole book out loud to me without even looking at it. During the day she would tell me about her favorite constellations and their stories and at night I would lie with her in the grass as she pointed them out to me. She would sometimes go off and start speculating about the unexplored sky above us and ask questions I wasn't sure even had an answer.

"I'm just asking myself, talking out loud I guess," she'd say with a light smile as her green eyes would reflect the stars above.

She was a wonder of a woman. As much as I tried to ignore it I couldn't help but notice her laid-back demeanor. She would smile big and bright as if there was no reason not to. Her laugh was deep and hearty and without a care in the world. Almost contagious. Her eyes were always filled with emotion and excitement would fill them anytime she would tell me something new. I was drawn to her for a reason I couldn't quite figure out.

We kept the small house clean, mainly because of me, and I would help Elizabeth cook whenever I had the chance. We would have fish often, which she was better at catching but I would never tell her, and we had deer once as well that she killed quickly with a handmade bow and arrow. That lasted us a couple days. The vegetables were easy to cook and Elizabeth showed me all the different ways.

"If you know how to grow them you gotta' know how to cook them!" she'd say while chopping vegetables, humming and gently swaying to the beat. I asked her one day about the tune I had heard her hum regularly over our short time together.

"We had a gramophone when I was younger," she said smiling to herself "my mother used to play the song all the time on it."

"What's a gramophone?" I asked curiously. I used to feel annoyed whenever she would to talk about something I knew nothing about but that went away rather quickly and now I listen with curiosity.

"It's a music player, I still have it but it's been broken for a while." She got up and walked to the small shed outside the house before coming back with a large box with a golden horn coming off the top. I watched her silently as she showed me how it would work putting what she called a 'record' on the bottom and placing a needle point on it.

"If it worked this would spin and music would come out of here," She said pointing to the big golden piece on top. After some thought and inspection I replied to her.

"I may know someone who could fix it," I said crossing my arms.

"Really!?" She asked excitedly.

I nodded before she told me more about the gramophone and showed me the rest of the records she had. She showed me her favorites and reminisced about the memories of singing with her mother.

"Sing one," I said to her as I sat in the chair behind me and crossed my legs.

"W-what! No, I couldn't," She stammered.

"Why?" I asked shrugging.

"Because I can't just sing to you, that's so...embarrassing." A light blush skimmed her cheeks for a moment as she looked away.

I didn't know what the big deal was. She could hum all day long but not sing. I rolled my eyes at her sudden modesty and _tsk_ ed.

While I knew no Titans were around, and Elizabeth constantly reminded me that I had nothing to worry about, I was still on guard. I had trouble sleeping at night,which wasn't unusual, even at home, but Elizabeth would worry and make a fuss. I told her it was normal for me and she was only worried because she could fall asleep anywhere and sleep through an earthquake but she continued to worry. She eventually offered to make me some different teas to see if any of them could help me and after a couple tries I found one that worked. I drank Chamomile and Lavender almost every night to help me fall asleep, I figured it wouldn't hurt to sleep more now while I don't have all the usual paperwork to keep me up. I'm sure I'd have _plenty_ of it when I got back.

I thought about getting back often. Just just about going but how we'd do it. How we'd know where we were going or how we'd avoid Titans if we'd need to. I only had two sets of blades left and a little over half a tank of gas. That would not last a two or more day trip if we ran into Titans. We had gone over plans and ideas for when we leave and she would always reassure me that she would protect me but I felt the need to protect her. Just like I felt the need to protect everyone.

That's all I grew up knowing. I had to protect myself and eventually my friends my whole life. It felt weird having someone promise to protect _me._ It made me feel useless and weak but I pushed those feelings down. I knew she didn't mean it to belittle me, she was genuine and had lived her whole life protecting anyone she could as well. But I could still see the worry on her face, the small doubt in the back of her mind. She would often drift off and lose herself to a clearly painful memory, she was worried she'd have to relive something similar. I just hoped she was wrong.


End file.
